Hines, a worldwide real estate and management company, was chosen to develop a life sciences hub to include residential and retail buildings on a 14-acre tract by the North Bethesda Metro.
The mixed-use development was announced Tuesday morning by officials from Montgomery County, Metro, Maryland, the University of Maryland – Baltimore and the developer.
Plans include between two and 3.7 million square feet of development that will be home to the University of Maryland’s Institute for Health Computing.
The research facility will be anchor for the site, located across from the Pike District on Rockville Pike. It will include research in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Virtual and Augmented Reality.
“Montgomery County wants to be the number one place in the nation for life sciences. We are number three which is not okay. We want to be number one,” declared County Councilmember Natali Fani-González.
“We want to be a state where people can actually get to where opportunities are,” said Governor Wes Moore. “We want to be a state where people don’t need to rely on cars.
The development will help transportation, housing and employment, Moore said during the announcement. “Together we are transforming North Bethesda into a hub of innovation, a hub of opportunity and a hub of growth.”
The state of Maryland is investing $33 million into the project. Montgomery County Council promised to invest $40 million. “We are getting there,” said Fani-González.
County Executive Marc Elrich said he envisions a development where workers from various science companies can eat and live together and talk with each other about their visions.
Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke praised the partnerships created in creating this mixed-use development.
Maryland Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Samantha Biddle said the development “will drive economic growth” in the area.
Hines Senior Managing Director Andrew McGeorge added the area “is poised to generate significant economic opportunity and job growth” in North Bethesda and beyond.
This morning I joined @wmata @hines @GovWesMoore and partners to announce the next step in transforming the North Bethesda Metro Station into a hub for life sciences, AI, & innovation. With higher ed as anchor, we’re building the next Kendall Square: right here in North Bethesda. pic.twitter.com/cc1ockKpWC
— Montgomery County, MD – County Exec Marc Elrich (@MontCoExec) May 27, 2025
